


Gift Giving

by ReginaNocis



Series: Obscure Love [33]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awkward Pietro, F/M, Just lots of awkward all around, awkward Darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 01:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13671882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaNocis/pseuds/ReginaNocis
Summary: She'd seen pictures of the twins before, but she'd almost expected to never actually meet them. She knew that they only left their room for meals, and it was almost a given that Darcy would never have meals with the Avengers. She was just too busy with Jane. As it was, she didn't have time to say more than “hello” before they were passing her and she was getting in the elevator. She did see that the man, Pietro, turned back to look at her before the elevator door closed, though neither of them had done more than nod in greeting.





	Gift Giving

Darcy stared at her computer screen, willing it to say literally anything else. When it refused to change, she considered both throwing something at it and pushing it off of the desk, but decided she might need it later. Instead, she stood and turned it off, walking away from it as quickly as she could. She was sure Jane needed coffee, and knew that it was almost time to send the other interns home. Not that she could really be called an intern anymore.

“Jane, break time! You need to rest your eyes before they fall out,” she called from across the room. The coffee was all gone, and they were out of grounds, which meant a trip to Starbucks. “If you want caffeine, you're coming with me anyways.”

“Where did the coffee go?” Jane demanded, frowning as she set her notebook down.

“I'm assuming it's in your stomach, since all the interns know better than to touch your stuff,” Darcy said, trying to sound less annoyed than she felt. She wasn't angry at Jane, after all. Apparently, it didn't work.

“What's wrong? And don't say you're mad about the coffee, because I know you better than that,” Jane asked, grabbing her purse as she made her way to the door. “Coffee can be on me today if you tell me without fighting it.”

Darcy considered fighting it anyways, then decided that her wallet was thin enough as it was. “I got an email that I didn't want. I'll take care of it later.”

“An email from who?” Jane pushed, holding the door for her and locking it behind them. “You know that's not enough of an explanation.”

“Before you hired me full time, I sent Coulson my resume. I thought maybe he could use a secretary or something. He died before anything was ever done about it, which, ow, still kind of stings. But now SHIELD is trying to poach me, and some guy named Sitwell won't take no for an answer. This particular email is the third in a row from Tony Stark of all people, offering us a place at his rebuilt tower, because he hacked SHIELD and saw what was going on,” Darcy explained.

“You wanted to leave me?” Jane asked, sounding hurt.

“I was an intern, Jane. I didn't know you liked me enough to hire me, and I wasn't even out of college yet. I needed an actual job that would pay me so I could finish, and Coulson had mentioned that SHIELD would probably hire me. He gave me his personal email and everything. As soon as you hired me for real, I stopped job hunting. And that was, like, the least important part of what I just told you,” Darcy pointed out.

“I know, it's just what stuck out first,” Jane replied, smiling slightly. “I knew Coulson liked you. He was probably hitting on you and you didn't notice.”

“First of all, gross,” Darcy protested. “Secondly, he really did just want to help me out. He overheard me talking on the phone with my sister. Diana is notorious for worrying about the dumbest things. And you're still missing the point.”

“Which point? That SHIELD is harassing you, or that Tony Stark is?” Jane asked, tilting her head curiously. Darcy sighed.

“Both, I guess. It feels like they're fighting over me, and not in the fun, romantic way I daydream about,” Darcy replied.

“You daydream about Stark and Sitwell fighting for your affection?” Jane raised her eyebrows.

“Not them specifically,” Darcy grimaced. “Just... a couple of guys in general. It would feel good to be wanted, you know?”

“Yes, but I feel like that kind of thing only happens in cheesy romance novels. Love triangles wouldn't really be fun to live through,” Jane replied. Darcy shrugged.

“We'll never know,” Darcy smiled, opening the door to Starbucks for Jane. “Wouldn't life be easier if you and I decided to be secret lesbian lovers and run away together?”

“We discussed that once, remember? We would end up killing each other, me because I'd drink all the coffee and you because you like to rewrite my notes in Klingon,” Jane replied. Darcy nodded, ordering for both of them before replying.

“True. Oh well,” she said, trying to sound upset. Jane laughed.

“What are you going to do, though? Seriously, I mean. You know they won't give up until you choose,” she pointed out.

“I know. I was really hoping that maybe they'd just give up. But it's been three weeks, and Stark sends me an email once a week. Sitwell is even worse. Honestly, I think Stark is the lesser evil. And that includes everything Thor has told us about him  _and_ what Coulson told me. Would it be horrible for us to move in with them? You'd have a shiny new lab and Thor whenever you want him. And I'd get to meet celebrities and go to special Stark parties whether I'm invited or not since I'd live there!” Darcy replied. Jane took a second to consider.

“It wouldn't be horrible. But we'd have to set ground rules, like nobody touches my notes but me. And you, if you behave. Nobody messes with our equipment, you will be  _mine,_ and Tony keeps his innuendos to himself. And there will be more, as we think of them,” she conceded.

“That's oddly possessive of you. You have to buy me dinner first,” Darcy told her, giving an exaggerated wink. “If you really mean it, I'll email Stark tonight with our answer.”

“I mean it, as long as it's what you want,” Jane answered.

“It's better than Sitwell. Who, by the way, I'm pretty sure actually is hitting on me. Unlike Coulson,” Darcy told her. “So yes, it's what I want.”

  
  


Two weeks later, Darcy was already regretting that decision. The days after her reply were spent in a whirlwind of packing equipment and clothing, getting Jane ready to leave, making sure the interns got paid for the time they spent doing their own packing, coming up with a decent excuse to fire them all and still get them their credits from the colleges they went to, and keeping Stark (Tony, Darcy reminded herself. He'd asked to be called Tony) from sending moving crews. Jane was at her wits end, and Darcy wasn't far from it.

The day of their move, Tony sent Thor and Captain Freaking America to help them lift the heavy things. Darcy had to lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes to get the fangirling out of her system before she could help them move things into the trucks. She was completely sure that Tony had done this just to give her a heart attack. She knew that Captain America (“Please, call me Steve, Ma'am.”) was aware of her major freak out, but he was cool enough not to mention it. Even Thor didn't say anything when she'd returned to help direct them around. Jane, however, pulled her aside as soon as the men were outside to berate her.

“It doesn't help anything for you to already be freaking out. You know we're going to be living with him, right? They all have rooms in the tower, too. Thor tells me all about it when he visits. Steve doesn't always stay there, but he's there at least twice a week for training on the weeks that he chooses to stay elsewhere. If this is your reaction every time you see him, why are we doing this?” she'd demanded.

“I'm not going to freak out every time. I lost control this time because I wasn't expecting him, but it's out of my system now. He's just Steve. When he's in the uniform, though...” Darcy trailed off, not ashamed of where her thoughts had gone. Jane had the decency to blush, though.

“Darcy!” she'd squealed, just as Thor and Steve had walked back in.

“Are you alright, Ma'am?” Steve asked, looking genuinely concerned. Darcy had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

“I'm fine. And please, just call me Jane,” she'd replied, her face still a bright red. “Are we ready to go?”

“Everything is indeed in the trucks, Lady Jane,” Thor assured her, smiling easy. And just like that, they were leaving New Mexico behind. It didn't feel like the last time they'd left, because they knew they'd be back the last time. This time, they'd never be coming back. They'd be living in New York permanently, unless something big happened.

  
  


A month into her stay at Stark Tower, Darcy finally made it out of Jane's “shiny new lab” for longer than just to get food or sleep. Her intention had been to use the kitchen in her small suite to make food for her and Jane, but she'd discovered very quickly that her kitchen was not stocked. Neither was Jane's, or Thor's. So she'd made her way to the communal kitchen, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight that greeted her.

She'd seen pictures of all the other Avengers, and had even smiled at Bruce in passing in the halls on her way to and from Jane's lab. She'd met Tony, Steve, and Thor, and she knew all about Pepper Potts (who was not an Avenger, but totally should have been). She'd even met Sam once, when he'd come down to welcome them. None of that prepared her for the sight of Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov arm wrestling at the kitchen table while Thor and a man she'd never seen before cheered them on.

She did manage to recover quickly, but not quickly enough that she wasn't spotted. Clint's moment of distraction was all Natasha needed to slam his hand into the table, causing him to wince and rub it as soon as she released it.

“Cheating, that's cheating!” he cried, glaring at Natasha.

“It's your own fault for letting your guard down,” Natasha shrugged, unconcerned. “Don't blame me for your mistakes.”

“She's right,” the man Darcy hadn't met said, smirking. “Pay up.”

“I didn't mean to interrupt,” Darcy said quietly, moving to pull chicken out of the giant refrigerator.

“You didn't,” Natasha assured her. “I would have won either way. Clint never wins, no matter how much he tries to say otherwise.”

“You're Darcy, right? Foster's assistant?” Clint asked, still rubbing his hand. Darcy was pretty sure it was just for show at this point.

“I don't know about assistant, but yes. I'm Darcy. And I know that you're Clint, right? And Natasha. And I know Thor,” Darcy replied, giving the god a wave that he returned heartily.

“And I'm Scott,” the mystery man said, smiling. “I'm not an Avenger yet.”

“Yet, he says,” Clint mutters under his breath. “Cocky bastard.”

“I can hear you,” Scott pointed out, amused.

“You were meant to,” Clint informed him. Natasha and Darcy rolled their eyes, smiling at each other afterwards. Darcy could already tell that she'd like these people.

“Children, break it up,” Natasha said pointedly. “I believe Darcy would like to use the kitchen for actual cooking.”

“You're not in my way,” Darcy assured them, pulling out other ingredients as she listened to them bicker. “I just had a few extra minutes and thought I'd make Jane something other than take-out. She basically lives on the stuff when she gets into science mode. Tony and Bruce are the same.”

“You are very perceptive, seeing as you mainly keep to Dr. Foster's lab,” Natasha pointed out, looking vaguely impressed.

“I talk to Jarvis a lot. Jane isn't a great conversationalist when she's working, and if I wander too far she gets into the coffee. Jarvis and I are totally bros,” Darcy replied, smiling. “He tells me things about the other scientists, and sometimes he shares funny things in the tower as they happen. He makes my day easier.”

“It is always a pleasure, Ms. Lewis,” Jarvis stated, making Scott jump. He must not have been used to it yet.

“Aww, buddy, thanks,” Darcy replied, grinning. “Can you tell Jane she's got one more hour before she has to stop for the night?”

“Of course, Ms. Lewis,” Jarvis replied.

“Thanks, J!” Darcy sang, turning back to her chicken. Natasha was still watching her with a slightly impressed look, which was not as uncomfortable as Darcy was sure it should have been. “So where is everyone else?”

“Steve is down in the gym, like usual. He doesn't come up until someone tells him there's food. I think he doesn't like us. Wanda and Pietro still don't really leave their rooms. The scientists are all in their labs,” Clint counted off, using his fingers like a child. “Did I miss anyone?”

“Sam is at work,” Natasha added. “And Rhodey will be by later, I believe. Scott wasn't even meant to be here, today. He was looking for Sam.”

“Sorry. I didn't know he was out,” Scott shrugged.

“The more the merrier,” Clint assured him. “You're cool, for a little guy.”

“He doesn't look little to me,” Darcy stated, turning to look Scott over. Natasha actually laughed, like Darcy had made a joke.

“Wait until you see him in the field,” she confided.

“No offense, but I hope to never see any of you in the field. I both hope that you never get calls to go out to fight, and that you never get called out to fight wherever I'm at. I don't want to see anybody in action, because I don't want to see anybody get hurt,” Darcy said quietly.

“The chances of us getting hurt are very small. I wish for your sake that the chances of us getting called out were also small,” Natasha told her.

“You don't even know me,” Darcy replied, looking confused.

“I see things, just as you do. Jarvis keeps me informed, as well. And I was aware of you long before you joined us here. Clint was in New Mexico when you found Thor's hammer. He and I have kept an eye on you ever since,” Natasha told her. Darcy frowned.

“You've been spying on me?” she demanded, suddenly angry.

“Not spying, although that was pretty much our job description,” Clint protested. “After that first time, you were never an assignment. Nat and I were just making sure you stayed safe. A lot of people want to get their hands on Jane's work, now that everyone knows that it's real. We just made sure that nobody ever did.”

“SHIELD did,” Darcy told them. “Twice. After the second time I discovered they'd hacked their way in, I built my own firewalls. Nobody has managed to get past them yet. I put the same ones up around our space in Tony's servers, and he hasn't even asked me about it yet. It just looks like we haven't used any of the space at all, unless I'm the one at the computer. I'm good enough at keeping people out.”

“We never said you weren't,” Natasha assured her. “We were just making sure you were never attacked. Perhaps we went about it the wrong way.”

“Knowing that somebody was looking out for us might have been nice,” Darcy conceded. “It's still creepy.”

“Clint has that affect on people,” Natasha whispered just a little too loudly, smirking at the noise of protest Clint made.

“Why are we all gathered in the kitchen?” Sam asked as he walked in with a man that Darcy could only assume was Rhodey.

“We were hungry,” Clint told him, omitting the part where they'd been playing around long before Darcy had ever come up to cook. She decided not to rat them out this time, continuing to spice the chicken before putting it in the oven.

“I need to check on Jane and take away her caffeine for the night. Nobody touches that chicken, understand?” she asked, glancing at Natasha to make sure she had her back. She got a tiny nod and an agreement from everyone else before she headed for the elevator.

It was already opening when she rounded the corner, and she was just about to thank Jarvis when two people stepped out. She'd seen pictures of the twins before, but she'd almost expected to never actually meet them. She knew that they only left their room for meals, and it was almost a given that Darcy would never have meals with the Avengers. She was just too busy with Jane. As it was, she didn't have time to say more than “hello” before they were passing her and she was getting in the elevator. She did see that the man, Pietro, turned back to look at her before the elevator door closed, though neither of them had done more than nod in greeting. Maybe they didn't speak english?

She shook it off as the elevator opened in the science hall, and she made her way out to chase Jane upstairs before she went to her own room to take a long shower and sleep. Darcy wasn't hungry anymore.

  
  


Things continued in that pattern, and Darcy slowly got to know other residents of the tower. Natasha had adopted her, it seemed. Anytime Darcy came up for air or to cook, the spy would make her way into the same room. Most of the time they just worked together in silence, though occasionally Natasha would ask her questions or tell her stories about past missions. Darcy always looked forward to the times she and Natasha could be alone together, because the stories were always interesting and the questions were never too invasive.

Clint decided that Darcy needed to learn how to defend herself, so he recruited Steve to teach her combat, and taught her how to shoot a gun himself. When she mastered the guns he'd chosen for her, they moved on to knife throwing. (Though she was pretty sure that a gun was going to be more useful to her than a knife if it came down to it, and she was completely certain that he was only teaching her how to throw a knife either for his own entertainment or to win a bet.) He'd promised the next step was learning how to shoot an arrow, but she was equally sure that he'd never let her touch his precious bow.

Diana called her frequently, and it was during one of those calls that she had her second interaction with Pietro Maximoff. Natasha had told her earlier in the day that she was taking Wanda to the compound to work on control, and Darcy had assumed that meant that the kitchen would be empty all day. If Natasha wasn't home, the boys stayed in the movie room. Darcy had claimed the kitchen as hers for the day so she could make chocolates for the people in the tower. Jarvis had given her a list of everyone's favorites, but he hadn't known Wanda's or Pietro's. His timing couldn't have been more perfect.

“Hold on Di, I've got to do something,” Darcy said into the phone, then she covered the speaker with her hand and turned to Pietro. “I'm glad you're here, because I was going to have to track you down in a little bit otherwise,” she told him. He visibly paled. “No, it's okay. Nothing bad. What kind of chocolates do you and your sister like?”

It took him a bit to reply, and she was worried she'd crossed some line. “Why do you want to know?” he asked, his voice heavily accented.

“I'm making some for everyone, and Jarvis couldn't tell me which ones you like,” she replied, smiling reassuringly.

“Caramel,” he said after a bit longer, seemingly debating with himself. “Wanda enjoys caramel.”

“And you?” Darcy asked gently.

“I don't like chocolates,” Pietro told her shortly, and then he was gone. Darcy would have thought he'd disappeared if she hadn't known what his ability was.

“I'm pretty sure he was lying,” she said to herself after a moment, only remember that her sister was waiting to talk when Diana made a loud noise. As soon as she'd hung up the phone, she sent a text to Natasha.

_12:54pm: Will you ask Wanda what kind of chocolates Pietro likes? He wouldn't tell me._

_12:56pm: Toffee. Are you trying to flirt with him?_

_12:57pm: No! I'm making chocolates for everyone._

_12:57pm: Sure you are._

Darcy rolled her eyes, knowing that Natasha was just messing with her. Four hours later, after delivering everyone's chocolates to them personally, she left Pietro's outside of his door with a note taped to the top of the container:  **If you want to lie, that's fine. If you don't want to like me, that's also fine. But everyone deserves chocolate, so this is for you. -Darcy**

  
  


Jane was the first to notice Darcy's sudden obsession with getting Pietro to come out of his room and join the others. She didn't have any new interactions with him, but she'd started ordering things and having them sent to his room. She also made him special foods while she was in the kitchen and left them clearly marked for him. To make it less weird, she'd done the same thing for Wanda.

“It's weird,” Jane told her, frowning.

“It's not weird. I'm trying to get them to come out and be a part of the team. Steve tells me all the time that he's worried about them. He's closer to Wanda than Pietro. Clint is the only one who talks to Pietro other than his sister,” Darcy argued.

“So sending him gifts and making him food isn't your weird way of trying to hit on him?” Jane asked skeptically.

“No!” Darcy cried in mock outrage. In truth, she wouldn't mind if the end result was a date or something. Pietro was nice to look at, and from the stories Clint had told her, he could keep up with her sarcasm.

“I just don't want to see you hurt. I also don't want you to scare the poor man away. He runs fast enough that I don't think the team could find him if he left,” Jane said quietly. “Thor told me their story. It's not nice, Darce. They had a really hard childhood, and an even worse time as adults so far.”

“I'm not making it worse. I've been sending movies and books. Things I think he'd like. And I do the same thing for Wanda!  _She_ has even come out to thank me and discuss one of the books. I'm making friends with her. She's helping me find things that Pietro will like,” Darcy replied.

“Don't let this go too far. I like it here,” Jane warned. And then she was back to science like the conversation had never happened.

The most shocking, though, was when Bruce had pulled her aside to talk. “Jarvis told me what's going on with you and Pietro. He says that as of right now, Pietro doesn't know who's been sending gifts and food, but he's suspicious. Darcy, you're doing this wrong. He thinks someone is making fun of him.”

Darcy looked stricken, upset that her gifts were taken in such a bad way. “I never meant for that to happen. I was only trying to make him feel like part of the team. Why didn't Wanda mention it?”

“She probably doesn't know. Jarvis only knows because Pietro said something out loud when he opened the last box. What have you been sending?” Bruce asked.

“That last box was the Hunger Games movies and books. I just finished watching the movies with Natasha, and I thought maybe he'd enjoy them too. I'm treating it the same way I've been treating my 'lessons' with Steve on pop culture. I figure he probably has a lot to learn, too,” Darcy replied.

“Hunger Games was probably not a wise choice. He didn't have to fight to his death for an audience, but a lot of it would probably be recognizable to him. Wanda and Pietro were homeless, outcasts after their parents died. If you're going to continue this, maybe remember that,” Bruce told her.

“I had no idea. Nobody is really open about background stories around here. I only know Jane's and Tony's because I pay attention. Jane talks about her past when she gets distracted, and Tony came to me on the second day to tell me that the media wasn't always accurate and answered my questions. I suspect that Pepper was behind that. I only know bits and pieces of everyone else's,” Darcy admitted.

“You do know about me, though, right?” Bruce looked worried.

“I know you were a professor at Culver, before some accident made you leave. That's why I applied there to begin with, to learn from you. But you were gone before I got there, and I was so disappointed. Oh, I also know a little bit about your past relationship with Betty Ross, because she  _was_ one of my professors, and I made friends with her after my class ended,” Darcy replied.

“That's it?” Bruce looked alarmed.

“What else is there to know?” Darcy asked, lips twitching.

“Darcy, this isn't something to joke about,” Bruce said seriously, looking so disappointed in her. She ducked her head.

“Sorry. I just don't think that people should be scared of you because of what you can sometimes be. Hulk is cool, anyways. Tony has told me all about how he saved his life, and the others all have awesome smashing stories. I think that if you really care about someone, or even are fond of them, Hulk isn't going to hurt them. And since I know you're fond of me because I bring you tea and scones, I'm not scared. Jane isn't, either. None of us in this tower are,” she told him. “So I'm sorry that I was kind of joking around, but it's because I'm genuinely not worried about that part of you.”

“That's... kind of you to say, but there is still very real danger. Even if Hulk himself doesn't hurt you, he destroys things. He could knock the building down on top of everyone without meaning to,” Bruce reminded her.

“Nah, Tony has this place so reinforced that I don't think it would actually fall on us. I got to see the plans, once,” Darcy smiled. “And in my experience, the more you stress over something, the more likely it is to happen.”

“You are strangely wise,” Bruce told her, shaking his head. “Just be careful with Pietro. He isn't like his sister.”

“Noted,” Darcy assured him.

She didn't have time to send any more gifts for almost a month, anyways, because Jane thought it would be fun to open a black hole in her lab. The result was lots of paperwork, and rebuilding fourteen of Jane's unique machines that had gotten sucked in. Not to mention plugging the hole, which took the combined effort of Jane, Tony, and Bruce.

She was so exhausted after it was finally over, that she didn't even notice the man in her room until it was too late. She felt the plunge of a needle into her neck, and then everything went dark.

  
  


She woke up in the Tower's medical floor, disoriented and confused. Also alone. There wasn't even a nurse in the room, so she pushed the call button and worked the remote on her bed to sit up.

“Where is everybody, J?” she tried to ask, but it came out as a croak because her throat was painfully dry. Thankfully, he seemed to know what she wanted.

“Sir is in his lab with Drs. Foster and Banner. Agents Barton and Romanov are speaking with your doctor yet again, and Captain Rogers and Mr. Wilson are in the waiting room. Mr. Maximoff just left for the restroom two minutes ago, and should return shortly with his sister,” he answered. She made a questioning noise, and Jarvis once again guessed what she wanted to know. “Mr. Maximoff intercepted the man who was trying to take you. He is the one who brought you here, and he has not left your side for more than a few minutes since then.”

“Sorry, Darce. We didn't think you'd be alone,” Clint said from the doorway as Natasha came to feel her forehead and give her water. “We've all be worried.”

“Some more than others,” Natasha said quietly. “We know you are a fighter.”

“Who was it?” Darcy asked when she could finally talk. Natasha's face closed off, like she didn't think Darcy could handle the answer, but Clint was already talking.

“It was Hydra. They thought you were Dr. Foster. Does that happen a lot? Word got out about the black hole, because it could be seen from the window for a while, and this guy was sent to retrieve her so she could open a bigger one for them,” he told her.

“Yes, it happens more than you'd think,” Darcy said bitterly. “I don't know why, though. I look nothing like her.”

“SHIELD made sure that her picture was never published. The most the general public knows is that she's a petite brunette who is close friends to the Avengers. You easily fit that description. Add to that the fact that you were coming up from Jane's lab, and you have your explanation,” Natasha replied.

“That makes a strange kind of sense,” Darcy frowned, brightening when she saw Pietro and Wanda in the doorway. “Hey! You're out of your room!”

“Yes, we wanted to see that you are well,” Wanda told her with a smile. “Natasha, perhaps you could help me with a nurse? I don't know how to ask what I wish to know.” Darcy watched as Wanda, Natasha, and Clint all quickly left the room, frowning in confusion.

“Well, that was weird,” she muttered, turning to give her full attention to Pietro. “I heard you're the one who saved me.”

He nodded. “Are you often in the habit of not paying attention to your surroundings? I was across the hall when I heard the noise you made. What were you thinking?” he demanded.

“I was thinking that I was tired, and Stark Tower was supposed to be a safe place!” she snapped. “I've never been kidnapped before, okay? I didn't even know I was at risk of it here. I've never been important enough.”

“You think you are not important?” he asked incredulously. “Do you not realize how you affect everyone around you?”

“You wouldn't even talk to me a week ago. Or maybe it's been more like a month, I don't even know at this point. My point is, why were you even outside of my room to begin with? I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but I don't understand. You don't like me,” she replied.

“You are infuriating. It was never that I didn't like you, it was that Wanda told me I liked you too much. From the moment I first saw you, you intrigued me. Then you started sending gifts, and I thought perhaps something could come of it. Wanda warned me off when she saw my thoughts, telling me that she was receiving the same gifts. You are nice to everyone, making sure everyone feels included and is fed. Not one of us would survive without you anymore,” he snapped.

“I'm sure that's not true,” Darcy protested, blushing. “And I only sent Wanda the gifts because I didn't want it to be weird that I was sending them to you. I thought maybe you'd get mad if you thought I was singling you out. The truth is, I felt the same way when I first saw you.”

She was reminded of Pietro's ability when there was suddenly a pair of lips against hers when he'd been all the way across the room. She didn't waste more than a second before kissing him back, though. She knew he was too likely to take it as a sign of rejection and disappear forever. Anything that happened after this would take a lot of patience and work, which was what Darcy was best at. Before they could get really into the kissing, though, the nurse finally came to check on her.

“No strenuous activity for a least two days, Ms. Lewis. Your body is still healing. You were malnourished and exhausted, which is why the drug affected you so badly. You need to take better care of yourself,” the nurse told her after a small examination. Natasha escorted the nurse out before Darcy could start yelling, having appeared from out of nowhere as if sensing the fight about to happen. Darcy gave her a grateful look before turning back to Pietro.

“I'm sorry,” she told him, making him frown.

“Sorry for what?” he asked.

“Sorry for making you wait. Sorry for sending you things that probably hurt you, before I knew about your past. Sorry for that stupid nurse's interruption. Just... sorry,” she replied.

“Darcy, you never have to apologize for things that are out of your control,” he told her, kissing her lightly. “I know about that all too well.”

“We'll fix that together,” she assured him.

“Fix what?” Pietro asked.

“Our future,” Darcy told him, smiling brightly.


End file.
